A second mini-hydro dam, touted as a project to help Sarawaks poor coastal villagers, has suffered a similar fate as the failed dam in Bario, central Sarawak When the floodgates to the dam are opened, it would take no more than 30 minutes at most to drain all the water in the reservoir, the source lamented, adding that no water is left to generate electricity.

Like the problem in Bario, the consultants had apparently either over-estimated or miscalculated the amount of water which comes from the river from Gunong Gading. The river is too small and shallow to be able to work the turbines.

In addition to not having enough water, there is another problem.

The electric cables have also been damaged by rats, the source said, pointing to the pipe of 14 inches in diameter which runs for 1.5 km from the dam to the site of the turbines.

Wastage of funds

Last week, a government delegation led by Sarawak deputy chief minister and minister of rural development Alfred Jabu, his federal counterpart Azmi Khalid and state tourism minister Johari Tun Openg, visited Telok Melano to look at the tourism potential of the coastal belt of Lundu district near the Sarawak-West Kalimantan border.

Members of the delegation trekked the way up to the source of the water and came to the conclusion that the mountain stream would not be able to produce enough water to work the turbines, the source said.

One source said initial findings indicate that the problem could, however, be solved by implementing a water reticulation system that would have to draw water into a holding area of the dam from both the mountain stream as well as underground wells.

It is estimated this will cost an additional RM5 million.

In February this year, it was revealed that another mini-hydro dam in Bario Highlands, also approved and financed by the federal ministry, had only operated for one day, due to the same reason — the river is too shallow and there is just not enough water to work the turbines.

As a result, hundreds of Orang Ulu families have not been getting the electricity promised to them.

According to Energy, Telecommunications and Multimedia Minister Leo Moggie, the project should not have been approved in the first place as it constituted a big wastage of funds.

Malaysiakini learnt that since Moggie brought the matter to light during a visit to Bario when launching a community Internet project, government officials have been to the site to see how the dam project can be revived.

According to reports, the federal government had spent more than RM20 million on the dam.

Not consulted

The failure of the mini-hydro dam projects has raised a number of questions, foremost of which is why the consultants had recommended the siting of the two projects in the first place without taking into account several factors, including the dry spell in some parts of Sarawak that could easily affect many interior riverine systems.

According to reliable sources, the Telok Melano dam is sited on land belonging to the local inhabitants and, therefore, did not require state government's approval, leading to the presumption that the state was not fully consulted on its siting or was not even aware of such a project until it was completed.

The federal-funded mini-hydro dam projects have been planned to increase electricity coverage in rural Sarawak still without electricity or too costly for the state electricity corporation to extend their services into such areas.

According to various sources, it would have been cheaper to install diesel-powered generations as part of government's assistance to rural and coastal poor villages in the far flung corners of this vast state.

Now, rather than abandon the two projects and waste all the millions already spent on building them, the authorities — both state and federal — have decided to find ways to revive them.

One initial suggestion from consultants already brought in is to reticulate the water in the dam by sourcing from rivers as well as underground wells to ensure enough power to work the turbines that produce electricity — which is what they are built for.